Spot Report by Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM): SMM monitored security situation following developments at sea near Kerch Strait

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM followed up on the security situation in relation to reported developments at sea, near the Kerch Strait, where on 25 November, three vessels of the Naval Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces – two artillery boats “Berdiansk” and “Nikopol” and one tug boat “Yany Kapu” – en route from Odessa to Mariupol had been involved in an incident with vessels of the Russian Federation. Reportedly, weapons were used, six sailors were wounded and the three Ukrainian vessels were seized.

Following the incident, an emergency session of Parliament is scheduled to take place on the afternoon of 26 November to decide on the proposal to introduce martial law for a period of 60 days based on the law “On the Legal Regime of Martial Law”.

On the morning of 26 November, the SMM monitored the security situation throughout Ukraine. In Kyiv, the SMM saw a white car with diplomatic licence plates of the Russian Federation damaged by fire near the Embassy of the latter. In Kharkiv, the SMM saw about 70 protesters (mostly young men) gathered in front of the building of the Consulate-General of the Russian Federation. Some of them lit flares and threw them at the building and also attempted to burn tyres, but police prevented it. In Odessa, the SMM saw about 100 protesters (mostly young men) gathered in front of the building of the Consulate-General of the Russian Federation, some of whom threw fire crackers at the building.